Spencer Jones, Yankees aim for series win against his hometown San Diego Padres

The Spencer Jones homecoming tour continues to play to rave reviews in San Diego.

The New York Yankees' rookie outfielder kick-started a four-run second inning rally Saturday with an RBI double that helped his team post a 5-1 road win. Jones and his teammates will shoot for a series win on Sunday in the finale of a six-game road trip.

Jones, a product of nearby Encinitas, put New York up 2-1 in the 10th inning Friday night with an RBI single against Padres closer Mason Miller. But his hero turn was canceled when Luis Campusano blasted a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.

Nevertheless, Jones is providing quality at-bats while moving to center field on a temporary basis. The Yankees put Trent Grisham on the injured list earlier Saturday with a hamstring injury he suffered in the second inning on Friday night.

"Obviously, I'm super-happy with the Yankees and being here with this organization," Jones said after Friday night's game. "But San Diego is where I grew up and my hometown, so it was really cool."

Manager Aaron Boone says Jones' defense has room for improvement but is obviously comfortable enough with his skill set to play him there.

"Overall, he's done a good job," Boone said.

So has New York pitching in the series. It allowed only three hits in Saturday's win, improving the team's record to 81-61 and enabling it to stay within four games of Tampa Bay in the American League East. The Yankees also maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over Boston for the AL's first wild-card spot.

They'll send Gerrit Cole (8-7, 3.29) to the mound on Sunday. He's coming off a 7-3 win Tuesday night at the Los Angeles Angels, which touched him for eight hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings with a walk and five strikeouts. Cole is 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA in eight career starts against San Diego.

Cole will face former teammate Michael King (9-9, 3.11), who worked six shutout innings Monday night in a 5-0 win at Cincinnati. King yielded four hits and three walks, striking out six. He's faced New York just once since it traded him to the Padres in December 2023, allowing two runs in six innings last year during a no-decision.

San Diego (74-68) dropped a half-game behind Arizona, a 4-3 winner in 10 innings Saturday night at Houston, for the National League's last wild-card spot. The Padres have lost eight of their last 11 games since sweeping Minnesota two weekends ago, enabling the Diamondbacks to run them down.

For right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., it's no big secret what San Diego must do to earn its fifth playoff berth in seven years.

"If we want to gain momentum, we just got to win more games," he said.

Saturday's game was just another example, according to manager Craig Stammen, about how the momentum it's claimed teams get with a big win can be quashed just hours later.

"The walkoff from (Friday) is already forgotten for both teams," he said. "Just a tough second inning turns the tides of that game."

--Field Level Media